Exercise trainer or home trainer - your new training friend
Indoor training on exercise bikes has only become more and more popular in recent years, where this form of training, in particular, has gained momentum during the corona restrictions around the world.
See our collection of hometrainers
As more and more people around the world ride exercise bikes, exercise software and programs have also been developed to help you with your indoor training.
What benefits do home trainers really have to make it worth investing in a "home trainer" in addition to your cycling training and regular trips on the racing bike? Which exercise bike should you choose? And what is the best exercise bike?
We take a closer look at this here and give you a guide to the benefits of an exercise bike and give an introduction to Zwift, which has also become hugely popular recently.
Why buy a home trainer?
Several types of exercise bikes can all help you regardless of level.
The great advantage of the exercise trainer is the flexibility it gives you in your training, especially in a busy everyday life, where time optimization is essential.
With it, you do not have to spend half an hour each way to get out of the city - on the contrary, you can just turn on the computer and hop in your favorite clothes before getting on the racing bike.
See our collection of hometrainers
However, it is not only in connection with a busy everyday life that an exercise bike - or "bicycle simulator" - is practical. During the cold, wet, and dark winter months, you can advantageously sit up in your summer clothes without several layers of clothing, lights, etc.
At the same time, you avoid a freezing core while you once again have to change an inner tube because you are punctured for the third time.
The exercise bike is a reliable and safe training partner, no matter how the weather is outside.
Which exercise bike should I choose?
There is a range of different exercise bikes, all of which can give you a great opportunity for indoor cycling training at home in the house or apartment.
The most common are either with a direct drivetrain (see first picture above) or with a resistance wheel.
If you are already hooked on riding a lot of kilometers indoors, then we would recommend you buy an exercise bike with a direct drivetrain, where Wahoo Kickr Core, Wahoo Kickr V5, Elite Direto XR-T, or Elite Suito-T are our favorite choices.
If, on the other hand, you are new to the game and are a little unsure whether the fitness trainer life is for you, then we also have the cool beginner exercise trainer Wahoo Kickr Snap , which gives you the opportunity to try your hand at home training.
Do not forget the accessories for your exercise bike
If you want to get the most out of your exercise bike at home and you are tired of having to have all the windows open at the same time as having four fans running, then we recommend you buy Wahoo's Kickr Headwind .
With this, it's the end of having a swimming pool of sweat sitting under you when you give full gas on those long workouts.
Wahoo Kickr Headwind is the ultimate fan for the home, which can be connected to your heart rate belt and thus regulate the wind strength according to your load and needs.
This feature allows you to get the right cooling, no matter how hard or light you train on the exercise bike.
In addition, Wahoo also offers Wahoo Kickr Climb , which is the perfect solution for the mountain goat in you who loves the feeling of driving uphill.
This device lifts the front of the bike as the rate of climb increases, resulting in you getting a very lifelike feeling of riding uphill.
A completely unique experience, if you ask us, which can be recommended if you have a penchant for mountains and hills.
How do you get the most out of your exercise bike?
At ProOwned, we have fallen in love with the Zwift platform, which has taken us and thousands of other cycling enthusiasts on their exercise bikes to a whole new level.
With Zwift you have a myriad of options depending on your preferences on the day.
If you want to take a trip up mountains like Alpe D'huez or Mont Ventoux, drive around the World Cup route from Innsbruck or London, then you can do it at home in the living room.
If you are in doubt about how to set up Zwift for your exercise bike, we have made a guide to Zwift below.
Guide: How does Zwift work?
Once you have purchased your exercise bike from Wahoo or Elite , we recommend that you create a user on Zwift so that you can get the full experience of your newly acquired exercise bike and devices.
To some, it may seem overwhelming. But fear not. We have made a quick and easy guide to setting up Zwift, so you can get started on the exercise bike at home and set a new personal record on the Tourmalet or Champs-Élysées:
- What you need to get started with Zwift.
- - A bicycle
- - An exercise bike
- - A computer, smartphone, or tablet with Bluetooth
- If you have the above, you can start creating a user. Just follow this link: https://bit.ly/2Y9gvSd . It costs $ 14.99 / 100DKK / month to have a Zwift user.
- Once you have created your user, download Zwift to your device whether you want to use a computer, Apple TV, your mobile or tablet.
- After your download is complete, simply log in with your user and then connect your device with your exercise bike, heart rate monitor and your cadence sensor.
Watch a beginner video guide to Zwift at the bottom of the page.
The possibilities in Zwift
Once you are logged in and have paired your devices, you can get started with Zwift. Zwift offers a sea of options for any type of cyclist. At the time of writing, you can run in eight different virtual worlds:
- Watopia (Including Alpe Du Zwift - a copy of Alpe D'Huez)
- Innsbruck (World Cup route from 2018)
- London (Drive past Trafalgar Square or Surrey Hills.)
- New York (Around Central Park)
- Richmond (World Cup route from 2015)
- Yorkshire (2019 World Cup route)
- France (Among others Ven-Top - Copy of Mont Ventoux)
- Paris (Champs-Élysées)
In each of these worlds, you can either choose to drive on the lust and pedal around.
If you have the courage for virtual socialization, you can sign up for a number of events https://www.zwift.com/eu/events , where it is also possible to sign up for races.
Zwift's races are divided into categories A, B, C, and D depending on your level. These categories are based on your watts/kg.
- D: 1–2.4 w / kg.
- C: 2.5–3.1 w / kg.
- B: 3.2–2.9 w / kg.
- A: 4+ w / kg.
Structure your training in Zwift
Zwift is not only made for the fun riders or the racehorses. If you want to train up to a Gran Fondo, improve your FTP or want some structured cycling training during the winter, then you have the opportunity to find a training plan that is designed for your needs.
GPLama has made a super cool guide to the choice of just this - see it here https://bit.ly/2XZNmss .
We at ProOwnedCycling have been particularly enthusiastic about the Zwift races and their winter training plans to keep in shape when the weather turns for the worse during the winter months.